Nike to Launch Green VC Arm to Accelerate Sustainability and Profit

Nike’s move is a bit unorthodox. It’s not that it is unusual to see companies establishing VC investment arms to help keep themselves ahead of competition, but the move is more common in high-tech industries such as IT or pharmaceuticals. Consumer goods companies like Nike have more commonly used in-house R&D and acquisitions of grown-up companies to accelerate sustainability and growth. My guess is that Nike understood that in terms of cost-benefit, it is worthwhile to explore this new route, given the economic and sustainabilty challenges Nike is facing.